As one of the most influential leaders in the tech industry worldwide — he’s a Singaporean entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of gaming gizmo firm Razer — you know Min-Liang Tan doesn’t mince his words.
Following this morning’s revelation that the Singapore government might possibly be clamping down on Pokémon Go, the gaming industry veteran didn’t bother to hide his disappointment over the city-state’s “schizophrenic” sentiments. TL;DR — the Singapore government needs to evolve.
Tan highlights the times when other games received bans and restrictions in his home country — LAN gaming staple Counterstrike for excessive violence and Mass Effect for same-sex romance (with a blue-skinned Asari, no less).
“On the other hand, the government extols how it wants to support the gaming industry and cultivate creativity in the country,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Newsflash: No one’s going to be creative in a place where you’re going to arbitrarily ban games because it offends some of your sensitivities because you’re still living in the 19th century.”
Aw, SNAP. Someone hand the government some Burn Heal.
“Just a tip from a Singaporean who knows a little about gaming, stop being a Jon Snow and learn to keep an open mind — there’s no point over-regulating in an industry you know nothing about.”
Aside from fighting on the side of basic reason and logic, the Razer boss also has a stake in Pokémon Go, considering his company just launched RazerGo, a messaging app built specifically for the augmented reality game.
